1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a method and system for assuring the proper alignment of multiple power transmission pulleys, such as those typically found in the front end accessory drives of an automotive internal combustion engines.
2. Related Art
Modern automotive internal combustion engines typically utilize a number of belt driven accessories, such as a power steering pump, an air injection pump, an air conditioning compressor, an a/c generator, and a water or coolant pump. Such accessories are commonly driven by a single flat elastomeric belt, sometimes termed a “serpentine” belt. Serpentine belts typically contact pulleys on both sides of the belt; that is, the belt may be ribbed on one side to fit in grooves formed on certain of the pulleys, while running on the back side of other pulleys having smooth surfaces for engaging the belt.
Proper alignment of drive pulleys is essential if the drive belt is to provide adequate life and reliability. If the alignment of the pulleys is not correct, a belt may be thrown from the pulleys, which could have the effect of causing the engine to stop operating, were the engine to overheat, or were the a/c generator to stop rotating for a sufficient amount of time for the battery to discharge to the point where the engine's electrical needs could no longer be supported. Another problem associated with misaligned pulleys is one of excessive noise, which may cause dissatisfaction in the ranks of motorists experiencing this problem, as well as concomitant expense to the manufacturer and/or the motorist to repair the cause of the excessive noise or squeaking.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,762 discloses a pulley alignment gauge which, although marginally useful, is not particularly suited to determining whether companion pulleys are both coplanar and operating upon axes which are mutually parallel, because the emitted light from the device disclosed in the '762 patent is a coherent beam, rather than a plane of light.
It would be desirable to provide a system and method for easily checking the alignment of a multiplicity of drive pulleys associated particularly with an automotive engine so as to ensure proper drive belt life, proper engine integrity, and a low belt noise signature.